I think it will be Romney/McDonnell and they are electable.
Romney has what may be a good strategy in that he can reassure moderates with his Mass. record and at the same time sway conservatives with the stuff he is saying now.

Mitt doesn't care if people like him or not, he knows the R's will rally behind him in November. And his campaign knows how to do electoral math, as Obama's did in '08 when they defeated Clinton without winning some of the "most important" states.

Romney is having to fight off crazy people now, but things are going to look pretty different in the fall. Dems should not be lulled into complacency.

McDonell is a good guess, but it will surely reinforce the ticket as the middle-aged white guy party that doesn't trust women. Rubio would be a very good foil, but having been raised a Mormon poses challenges for some. Christie is well poised for a 2016 run; there seems little incentive for him to take a place on this ticket. Given how hard they've been running away from W, Jeb doesn't seem likely.

In times of trouble people want someone who looks safe and who makes them feel proud again when the country has taken a battering as it has for the last 4-5 years. That's why Mitt could have a lot of appeal, along with any stable, non-threatening, vanilla (I don't mean race) kind of person alongside him on the ticket.

Again, I don't think Dems should underestimate that. Americans are mad and depressed about the country, they want Daddy to fix it.
Mitt looks like Dad.

McDonnell is much, much more likely than Santorum to get the V.P. nod. It would do a lot to improve his chances of winning Virginia, which is a crucial swing state in the Electoral College. McDonnell would probably assuage much of the hard rightwing base because of his background.

But my political intuition leans away from thinking Romney will pick McDonnell. The ultrasound-before-abortion battle waged in Virginia has brought McDonnell the wrong kind of attention in terms of what Romney may want to see in a running mate to help nab that last couple of percent of swing voters - especially white suburban women. All kinds of groups will be crucial in the election, but my hunch is that the most crucial of all will be white suburban women. I can't help but think there's a chance that McDonnell would hurt Romney's chances with them and that he may be aware of that.

QuoteGrace62
I think it will be Romney/McDonnell and they are electable.
Romney has what may be a good strategy in that he can reassure moderates with his Mass. record and at the same time sway conservatives with the stuff he is saying now.

Mitt doesn't care if people like him or not, he knows the R's will rally behind him in November. And his campaign knows how to do electoral math, as Obama's did in '08 when they defeated Clinton without winning some of the "most important" states.

Romney is having to fight off crazy people now, but things are going to look pretty different in the fall. Dems should not be lulled into complacency.

McDonnell "criticized a landmark 1965 Supreme Court decision" which legalized the use of contraceptives, writing that "man's basic nature is inclined towards evil, and when the exercise of liberty takes the shape of pornography, drug abuse, or homosexuality, the government must restrain, punish, and deter."

In his thesis, McDonnell wrote "government policy should favor married couples over 'cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators.'" McDonnell "described working women and feminists as 'detrimental' to the family."

McDonnell "criticized a landmark 1965 Supreme Court decision" which legalized the use of contraceptives, writing that "man's basic nature is inclined towards evil, and when the exercise of liberty takes the shape of pornography, drug abuse, or homosexuality, the government must restrain, punish, and deter."

In his thesis, McDonnell wrote "government policy should favor married couples over 'cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators.'" McDonnell "described working women and feminists as 'detrimental' to the family."

Yes he's a Pat Robertson protege. That's horrifying to us liberals, but this is the GOP we're talking about. Those views are pretty much required to be on the ticket of the American Faith Party.

McDonnell "criticized a landmark 1965 Supreme Court decision" which legalized the use of contraceptives, writing that "man's basic nature is inclined towards evil, and when the exercise of liberty takes the shape of pornography, drug abuse, or homosexuality, the government must restrain, punish, and deter."

In his thesis, McDonnell wrote "government policy should favor married couples over 'cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators.'" McDonnell "described working women and feminists as 'detrimental' to the family."

Yes he's a Pat Robertson protege. That's horrifying to us liberals, but this is the GOP we're talking about. Those views are pretty much required to be on the ticket of the American Faith Party.

In reading the comments posted on local newspapers' web sites, this ultrasound deal went over like a lead balloon. Normally comments are overloaded with conservative dogma. Not on this issue. This could really come back to bite McDonnell on the ass.

It's definitely good on paper. I guess Marco would bring the sexy - to the extent that that's possible when you're a Tea Party Republican.

I don't see him helping with the Hispanic vote much though. Romney already has a lock on the Cuban American community but Mexican Americans are going to be looking at the GOP's immigration policy of the past few years, and that's going to damage their ticket regardless of who's on it.

It's definitely good on paper. I guess Marco would bring the sexy - to the extent that that's possible when you're a Tea Party Republican.

I don't see him helping with the Hispanic vote much though. Romney already has a lock on the Cuban American community but Mexican Americans are going to be looking at the GOP's immigration policy of the past few years, and that's going to damage their ticket regardless of who's on it.

I would think that Rubio might help in Florida as well. A pretty important swing state.

It's definitely good on paper. I guess Marco would bring the sexy - to the extent that that's possible when you're a Tea Party Republican.

I don't see him helping with the Hispanic vote much though. Romney already has a lock on the Cuban American community but Mexican Americans are going to be looking at the GOP's immigration policy of the past few years, and that's going to damage their ticket regardless of who's on it.

I would think that Rubio might help in Florida as well. A pretty important swing state.

yes I'm sure he would - Obama and Romney are tied right now in Florida.

It's definitely good on paper. I guess Marco would bring the sexy - to the extent that that's possible when you're a Tea Party Republican.

I don't see him helping with the Hispanic vote much though. Romney already has a lock on the Cuban American community but Mexican Americans are going to be looking at the GOP's immigration policy of the past few years, and that's going to damage their ticket regardless of who's on it.

Do the Mexican-Americans even care about Rubio's heritage? Do they know they are "supposed" to be linked with him? (The point is, didn't white Americans form the concept of "Hispanics" and do the individual groups even know or care they are just connected in the eyes of certain Americans?)

Four of five Latinos who voted for Obama in 2008 say they will likely vote for him again. More surprisingly, Hispanics who voted for McCain are now split on whether they'll vote Republican again. Forty percent of Latino McCain voters say they're leaning toward supporting Obama, compared to just 38 percent who say they'd vote for Romney.

However, about one-third of respondents say they'd considering voting for the Republican ticket if it included a Hispanic running mate. Almost 25 percent say they'd consider voting Republican if Marco Rubio were the VP candidate. More importantly, four in ten Florida Hispanics say they'd consider it.

I think that puts the GOP back at square one with Hispanics if they choose Rubio, and in a deficit if they don't. They've lost a lot of support since '08 but would get some back with a Rubio ticket.
Cuban Americans tend to vote Republican, they'll go for Romney regardless of the running mate.
He got no love at all from Mexican Americans in the Florida primary.